Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-01-05
;sy9tlisfellaueons &eadiug,
SNOW AS A FERTILIZER.

Inc opinion prevails, BeueTdily aiHouS
the farmers, that snow is quite a fertilizer
to winter grain crops, The opinion, doubt
less, migrated with our ancestors from Eng,
thence to the more southern States, as the
population moved southwesterly. That
snow greatly benefits grain crops in those
regions where it covers the ground the
greater part of the winter, there can be no
shadow of doubt. But how? In the first
place by protecting it from cold. Absurd,
says one, to say that anything covered by
snow is protected from cold. Why snow
itself is terribly cold thing. Admit it is
a pretty cold thing, but its temperature
need not be lower than 80 degrees, and the
ground under it need not be colder than 81
degrees. Suppose just before the snow fall
A light freeze would not hurt grain. Now
cover it up with six to ten inches of snow,
and let the weather turn very cold. Let
the thermometer drop down to ten degrees,
or, as it sometimes does, to zero. What
then? Will the soil temperature sink down
to those figures? Not at all. The loose,
porous snow checks the escape of heat from
the soil, just as good fur keeps the heat
from escaping from an animals body, and
the soil retains its temperature Of approx
imately thirty-two degrees. The wheat
plant is kept about as cold as it would be
on nice frosty morning, just cold enough
for little ice to form. 1t is protected from
the zero cold, and Qrom what is OF more
importance stilD the cold, drying winds
which invariably attend these severe spells
winds on vegetation is apt to be overlooked.
1T intensifies the cold very much and is
often the cause of death in plants. Snow,
then, effectually protects crops from ex-
treme cold and from cold and drying
winds.
But does it not do more than that? Does
it not really enrich the soil is it not really
a fertilizer? Not much. Snow, like rain
water, contains little ammonia; but only
q little. In numerous cases, all the snow
and rain water which falls in year, upon
q given area, have been carefully collected
and examined; the amount of ammonia in
them a9certained, and the calculation made
as to how much ammonia would thus be car
ried into the soil of an acre. The largest
amount thus determined has been a very
little over ten QO pounds per acre, the
smallest about four az pounds per acre and
the most careful observations indicate that
the average amount of nitrogen (both as
ammonia and nitric acid) which an acre re-
ceives from rain and snow in whole year,
is only about five (5) pounds, representing
or equivalent to six 6) pounds of ammonia,
snow does not carry into the soil any more
ammonia than corresponding rain, all OF
which soaks into the soil. A fall of ten
inches of snow is about equal to one inch OF
rain; which is a good soaking rain. Now,
divide six pounds of ammonia by the num-
ber Of rainfalls in year, and see how lit
tie ammonia would be carried into the soil
by one rainfall or one snow. Thirty rains in
ot>oN IN ~
one-fifth of pound of ammonia into the soil
of on acre, or not more of that substance
than three pounds of cotton seed meal
would supply to an acre; and ammonia is
the only fertilizing material which snow
contains. It is obviously, therefore, very
boOr fertilizer, though it may greatly bene-
fit crops by the protection it affords against
cold. At the North, where snow takes
the place of rain, the winter leeching Of
soils is greatly reduced, because the snow
melts in the spring and runs of, in great
measure, without soaking into the frozen
ground. With us it does not remain long
enough on the ground to protect grain to
any extent neither does it take the place
ing of the soilsin an appreciative degree.
THE EXPERIMENTAL STATIONS.
& The following is the text Of the Act pass
ed at the recent session of the General AS
sembly to establish experimental farms and
stations:
. SECTION l., That the heard of agricul-
,ture is hereby authorizedR Rnd directed to
locate and establish two experimental farms
and stations, to be known asthe South Car
olina Experimental Stations, the object Of
which shall be to determine the capacity of
new plants for aeclimation; the manurial
value of fertilizers and composts; testing
the purity and vitality of seeds; examining
weeds, grasses and other plants; investigat-
ing the growth, requirements and compar-
ative value Of different crops; studying the
economic production of milk and butter !;
and of conducting such other tests, inves-
LEGATIONS and experiments in the field rs
may bear upon questions connected with
either the science or practice of agriculture.
Sec. 2. That the said board shall, as soon
after the passage of this Act as practicable,
give ninety days notice in not less than
three newspapers of this State they will re-
ceive from counties, communities or persons
bids or proposals to donate lands and build
ings or money for the purpose ofSestablish-
ing said experimental farms and stations.
SEC. 3. That in selecting the sites for
said experimental farms the board may
have reference to the healthfulness of locali-
ty, the adaptability of the land, to represent
the variety of soils in the State: Provided,
That one shall he located in the Piedmont
region of the State and one in the lower
tier of counties.
SEC. 4. The board shall employ one di-
rector and such other employees as may be
in their judgment necessary for said sta
tiOns.
SEC. 5. That the board of agriculture
shall take into careful consideration plans
and specifications for an agricultural and
mechanical college, together with probable
or approximate cost of the same, and re-
port the result of their investigation to the
General Assembly at its next session.
SEC. 6. That to establish said experiment
tnl farms and stations the sum of ten thous-
and dollars, if so much be necessary, be,
and is hereby, appropriated out of any funds
in the treasury not otherwise appropriated,
and for the support and maintenance Of the
said experimental farms and stations all
moneys arising from privilege tax or so
much as may be necessary, be, and the
same is hereby, appropriated, except so
much as may be necessary to defray the eX-
penses of the department of agriculture.
THE BEAUTY OF SIMPLIcITY.-Next to
suitability, l say, let there be simplicity.
John Newton, giving advice to lady, said:
MADAM, so dress and so conduct yourself
that persons who have been in your compa-
not recollect what you had on"
>uel, if followed, would lead to
ut style of dress from which
lsSala111n now. Simplicity
lscibly remind